"Speech"
"Thoughts"
"Creature, Demon, monster speech."
Spell Name
CHAPTER 1: MEETING THE HAWKES
UNKNOWN PLACE AND TIME
Roxas, the Nobody of the Keyblade warrior Sora, groaned as he awoke on the ground on some world he didn't know about, the feel of it gave away that he hadn't been there. Opening his eyes proved to be a large mistake as the light hit him full force and immediately made the throbbing headache he had turn into a massive migraine, the fact he was looking right at the sun did NOT help things at all. Getting up wasn't easy either as his body was stiff, sore, and felt like he hadn't tried to move in months.
Forcing himself up, Roxas groaned feeling various cracks and pops from his joints while feeling his muscles protesting having to be used. Working the different muscles and slowly opening his eyes to let the light in at a pace his eyes wouldn't scream at him for. It took some time, but he managed to stand up and have his eyes opened completely, but now he could see... not that there was much to see.
Around him was what looked like scorched earth and rock, a blue sky with smoke slowly wafting through it... and not much else.
Steadying himself, he channeled his magic to cast Curaga on himself... only he got nothing. "Well, that's shit for luck. No idea where I am, no real magic to me, and no idea if I can even fight. Speaking of." Roxas muttered to himself before reaching his hand out and Kingdom Key came to his hand, "Okay, so I'm back to the basic blade, not terrible but not ideal either." Roxas stated before he blinked as he finally noticed what he was wearing: His former Organization Outfit complete with cloak, gloves, boots, pants, and tank top shirt. "Okay... what the fuck happened?" Roxas wondered as he took a minute to try and remember.
He had merged with Sora.
He had watched him slowly break the Organization members.
Then he had arrived at the World That Never Was.
Roxas widened his eyes as he remembered what happened when Sora reached Memory's Skyscraper.
WORLD THAT NEVER WAS: EARLIER
Roxas was panting as he had just finished fighting Sora, he needed to get him to wake up and stop holding back. It had worked well, but the guy still didn't have his power fully under control or unleashed. "You know, I've thought of a hundred different ways the fight could have gone, but I guess no matter what, it always had to be you." Roxas stated as he stood and looked at the sky.
"What are you talking about?" Sora asked in confusion wondering what this person was talking about and why they had two Keyblades.
Roxas just laughed mirthlessly, "You think you know so much, but you've no idea really." Roxas walked over to him before palming his head, "You're connected to so many people, you don't even realize. But you need to, you need to awaken to the reality that you've unknowingly made." Roxas stated as he gave Sora all of his memories, his experiences, his past, including all the pain, sorrow, heartache, and rage.
Sora stumbled back as he took it all in as Roxas dropped his Keyblades, which dispersed as they hit the ground, before he started panting as he began to be assimilated by Sora
"Roxas... I am so sorry." Sora stated and Roxas smiled.
"Thanks. Just... don't let that bastard win, and when you get Kairi, never let her go, because now you know how it feels to lose someone you love." Roxas stated before he let a tear fall from his eye, "I wish I could see them both, one more time." Roxas whispered before he vanished leaving nothing behind but Sora.
Sora frowned as he held his Keyblade before frowning as he aimed his Keyblade towards, "I don't know where you'll end up Roxas, but I hope it's better than this place." Sora stated as a beam of light shot from his Keyblade to his heart before a small ball of light emerged from his chest before launching off to the sky, "Good luck." Sora stated before he steadied himself and began moving to catch up with Donald and Goofy and head for the castle.
BACK TO NOW
Roxas smiled slightly, "Thanks Sora, I hope you have better luck in life than I did." Roxas stated as he stretched to loosen his body and try to figure out where the hell he ended up.
However, he tensed as he felt a group of darker entities coming towards him and turned to see several grey skinned, black veined, armored creatures rushing him while roaring and were backed up with smaller greener creatures that had armor as well. Roxas frowned as they weren't any creatures he ever recalled facing before, but they had a darkness similar to Heartless, if nowhere near as terrifying or cruel. Still, they clearly wanted him dead so he'd have to make his body adjust on the fly while fighting.
Getting into his ready stance, Roxas twitched as his muscles sent a bit of an annoying sting through him as he did, "That's gonna get old real fast, I may have to take up my old training regimen again." Roxas thought to himself before he tested his legs wondering if he could pull a Flow Motion or not, but decided against it since one slip up and he'd slam into a rock or the ground and since his muscles weren't what they used to be, he better not try it yet. So, settling for the traditional method, Roxas charged to meet them feeling the ache from his muscles lessening as he moved.
Ducking a slash from one of the taller attackers, Roxas spun on his heel swinging his Keyblade in a large arc cutting through several of the attackers at once before twisting to the right to dodge an arrow fired by one of the shorter attackers. Clenching his hand, Roxas parried another strike before kicking said attacker into a few of the others and then blocked another strike before twisting to pull the attacker in front of him to block several arrows fired at him. Dropping his meat shield, Roxas noted their armor seemed more for show than function since he felt no resistance to his attacks and the arrows didn't seem to have any trouble piercing through the armor either.
Not that was a problem really since it meant they were easier to kill, though it seemed like the Heartless they acted on a swarm and attack method.
Running towards the archers, as it was always good to take out the long range attackers first, Roxas jumped off one of the other attackers before spinning in midair to dodge the next wave of arrows, "Well, I've got Aerial Dodge back at least." Roxas mused as he landed and went right at the archers and began cutting them down in rapid succession, "Note to self: Practice that idea for a double dodge in the air." Roxas mentally told himself as he spun around a stab from a sword before beheading the attacker.
However, as he did, he felt a surge through his body that remembered fondly, "That's my magic, it's not as potent as before but better than nothing." Roxas thought as he pointed his blade at an attacker, "Fire." Roxas called as the tip of his Keyblade glowed red before a fireball was launched out and hit the enemy causing it to howl in pain as it was set ablaze and reduced to ash causing Roxas to blink owlishly. "Okay, that's never happened before, especially at the base level spell. Are these things just weak to magic or do I still have my original power but not the mana capacity I did?" Roxas wondered, but didn't have time to wonder long as he still had a squad of attackers.
Deciding to test what these things could handle, Roxas raised his Keyblade up to the sky with a smirk as storm clouds formed above him, "Thunder." Roxas called as the clouds boomed with thunder before lightning bolts rained down on the attackers making them roar in pain before they succumbed to the attack. Roxas kept his guard up as he looked around for any more enemies since he didn't need to be blindsided.
Seeing none, he relaxed slightly as he collected his thoughts, "Okay, unknown world. Unknown enemy. I've lost almost all of my powers, skills, and abilities. The enemies are equal to Shadows." Roxas stated feeling the headache returning.
However, before he could get too consumed by his thoughts, he heard shouting and war cries from nearby and immediately took off before coming to a cliff edge over a small path and saw a group of people fighting the enemies from before. Taking a moment to look over the group, as he didn't see the point in helping a group that wasn't worth helping since he'd seen criminals and the like being attacked by Heartless before and honestly Roxas didn't do anything to help since they didn't deserve it.
The first was a middle aged man in silvery armor, though he had blood running down his side and looked pretty pale. He was trying to fight, but it wasn't going that well
The second was a beautiful woman that seemed to be an ally of the first since she was staying close to him and fighting beside him, Roxas assumed they were lovers or siblings given how close they were. The woman was an orangette with creamy skin, freckles on her face, blue eyes, full slips, and a athletic body that was shown via the simple clothing she had on while having a sword handy and she had a red braided thread circlet on her head.
Near those two were a group that seemed to be a family given the similar facial features they all shared. The first was a noncombatant of a middle aged woman with white hair done up in a bun, and based on what he was seeing, it was her children that were fighting to protect her.
The oldest was a raven haired man with chiseled features with a scar down his left eye and a scruffy beard with both eyes being golden in color. He was wearing brown leather armor and had two daggers/small blades, making him appear to be a rogue of sorts.
The next was a young man with black hair that reached his shoulder and had brown eyes, though Roxas could instantly tell he was an asshole just by looking at him. He was attacking wildly with a greatsword, though it was clear he had none of the skill Cloud, Leon, or Sephiroth had and was just swinging it around and hoping to brute force to a win.
The last was a young woman that seemed to be the same age as the asshole, most likely twins, and was beautiful. She had long black hair done up in a partial braid, creamy skin that was slightly tanned showing she was outside a lot, and had amber eyes. Her attire consisted of forest green pants with cuffed brown leather boots and two brown leather straps around her knees, a white blouse that hooked over a chainmail corset that had a drape over her front that showed off her DD breasts, a brown dual belt with an intricate buckle hung on her wide hips and had a couple of pouches attached, and she had two small pauldrons on her shoulders that primarily protected her shoulder joints. Her arms were in black leather opera gloves that had brown leather elbow pads and bracers attached while there was a tuft of red fabric up by her shoulders. Around her neck was what looked like a red bandana with a silver pendant that had a red jewel that Roxas could tell had magical properties. In her hand was a crude staff that had red leather wraps around it and she was using it as a focal point for her magic like he and Sora used the Keyblade or Donald used his staff/wand. From the way she moved and fought, she was skilled with it, but clearly hadn't had a true teacher in using it, or at least using it to the extent she was.
However, that didn't matter too much at the moment because they were still getting swarmed by the enemies.
With that in mind, Roxas quickly raised his Keyblade, "Thunder." He called causing lightning to rain down on the enemies again and surprising the group as the lightning came out of nowhere, plus it was a golden color so it was clearly not natural. They then widened their eyes as Roxas jumped down the cliff and began hacking and slashing through the different enemies and they quickly saw the creatures were paying more attention to him than they were to them and used that to their advantage by attacking the creatures while they distracted by the newcomer.
With Roxas doing the most of the fighting, it wasn't hard to bring the horde down especially with Roxas just kicking some of them down the cliff.
Once they were sure no more enemies were left, the group began to settle a little, though it was clear they weren't exactly thrilled with the other's presence. Roxas turned to address them, but the man in silver armor beat him to it, "Apostates! Keep your distance." The man shouted as he moved the red haired woman back.
"Wesley." The woman sighed since they had just risked their lives to help him.
"Th-the order dictates." The now named Wesley grunted as he stepped forward only for the eldest child to get in the way while Roxas stepped between them.
"They saved your life, and the life of your friend here, I think your order will let it slide." Roxas stated though he had no idea what the hell an Apostate was.
"He's right Wesley, the Maker understands." The red head soothed making Wesley sigh before nodding.
"The wrath of the templars is terrible indeed." The Rogue stated, though there was a bit of a joking tone in his voice before he turned to Roxas. "I thank you for your assistance, not many would step in to help fight the Darkspawn." He stated and Roxas nodded.
"Darkspawn? Is that what you call those things?" Roxas asked as the six looked at him in surprise before the Rogue nodded. "Hmm, good to know." Roxas stated before he looked at Wesley and pointed his blade at him making him and the red head tense, "Relax, I'm just gonna help you." Roxas stated making them frown before his blade glowed green "Heal." Roxas stated as a light enveloped Wesley as green ethereal leaves floated around him before Wesley gasped and saw his wound was sealing shut.
"By the Maker." The rogue muttered in awe that was mirrored by the others.
Roxas then lowered his blade and Wesley lifted his tunic to see his wound sealed shut, though he had some dark veins on his body still and he was pale. "I'm sorry I can't heal you further, were my powers at their strongest you'd feel infinitely better than you do now, but I'm currently weaker than I usually am." Roxas apologized as Wesley merely looked at him in surprise.
"How did you do that?" Wesley asked and Roxas blinked.
"Magic, how else? It's just the simple Cure spell, the most basic healing spell there is." Roxas stated as they looked at him in surprise.
"You use magic, but you also use a blade?" The rogue asked and Roxas nodded.
"Yeah, I use it as a focal point, just like she uses a staff." Roxas stated motioning to the youngest female of the group.
"I've never heard of healing magic before." Said girl stated as the Wesley nodded.
"Nor I." Wesley stated not sure how to feel about an unknown mage healing him.
"This all fascinating really, but can we get the fuck out of here?" The younger male stated testily as the others all nodded and began moving with Wesley now being able to move easier.
As they walked, the Rogue suddenly snapped his fingers, "Ah, I'm sorry, completely forgot to introduce myself. I'm Garret Hawke. With me is my sister Bethany, my brother Carver, and my mother Leandra." The now named Garret stated as Bethany gave a small smile at her introduction, Carver merely grunted and kept walking, and Leandra gave a smile.
"I suppose the least we can be is courteous." Wesley stated before motioning to himself, "I am Ser Wesley Vallen of the Templars and beside me is my beautiful and loving wife, Aveline." Wesley introduced while Aveline bowed her head slightly.
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Aveline stated and Roxas nodded back before he pulled his hood back showing his blonde hair and crystal blue eyes.
"You can call me Roxas, no last name, it's a pleasure to meet you all." Roxas stated as they kept walking. "So... not to kill the good mood, but do you have a plan on where to go?" Roxas asked as Garret nodded.
"Yes, we're heading to Kirkwall, it's across the sea so the Darkspawn shouldn't be able to reach it, at least easily since the Deep Roads connect everywhere." Garret stated making Roxas raise an eyebrow before he shrugged, "Since you clearly have nowhere to go and don't seem to have a plan, you're welcome to come with us. We could use another capable fighter to get through this mess." Garret continued and Roxas looked at him a moment before nodding.
"Sure, especially since I honestly have no idea where the Hell I even am. I woke up in a nearby field feeling sluggish and trying to clear my head before those, Darkspawn was it? Darkspawn attacked me." Roxas stated making them raise eyebrows at him.
However, before any of them could voice any questions, Roxas whipped his head to the side and quickly used Flow Motion to grab Bethany and Leandra and pulled them away just as a boulder was thrown where they stood Roxas quickly set the two women down before he sliced the next boulder in half. He then saw two large purplish creatures with horns come roaring out as they charged the group. Roxas narrowed his eyes and charged them down, to the shock of his new companions, and dodged the first trying to slam its fist into him before using Flow Motion to strike at the second's legs making it roar in anger and pain before Roxas quickly sliced into it's back.
While he was doing that, Carver decided to charge in as well and tried to handle the creature by himself, only he wasn't as fast as Roxas to dodge. The end result was the creature grabbing him before it began to slam him into the ground like a ragdoll before tossing him away.
Naturally, this enraged Garret and he charged in using his agility and blades to follow Roxas' example to chip away at the creature's defenses. Bethany backed him up with some spells, but she, Wesley, and Aveline quickly had to turn their attention to more of the Darkspawn swarming their position while Leandra went to Carver's body.
Roxas cursed and quickly pointed his Keyblade at the creature, "Deep Freeze." Roxas stated as his Keyblade glowed blue before launching ice at the creature skewing it in different areas causing it to roar in pain before Roxas rushed in and slashed it on the chest, stomach, and back before twisting around a flailing limb and cutting the head off.
Roxas breathed a bit as it was like fighting a Darkside back when he was a rookie before he turned to see Garret had just finished stabbing his opponent in the head with his blades while the other three had finished off the Darkspawn, though Wesley looked pale and out of breath, which was why he was now leaning against a rock and taking large gulps of air. He also saw Leandra crying over the still body of Carver and knew what that meant as Garret and Bethany went over and he joined their side since there could be more enemies.
"Can you do anything?" Garret asked as Roxas frowned and felt Carver's neck before sighing.
"No, he's already gone. I can heal things, but I can't bring back the dead." Roxas stated sadly as Garret sighed.
"At least father won't be alone now." Garret stated as Bethany comforted their sobbing mother.
However, their moment of grief was forced to an end as a large Darkspawn horde surrounded them and Roxas frowned while REALLY wishing he had some of his light magic available or both of his Keyblades since then he could destroy these creatures with little to no trouble.
Unfortunately the universe wasn't letting that happen, but fortunately it was offering a different solution.
Said solution was in the form of a large Grand Dragon swooping down and burning the Darkspawn while Roxas pushed the others back ensuring they were clear of the dragon's fury and fire as the Darkspawn certainly weren't.
When it was over, Roxas grimaced as the smell of scorched earth and flesh hung in the air making him choke down a gag, if not for the fact he had been to the Underworld that Hades ruled, he'd be choking right now.
His companions though weren't so lucky as they were fighting back the urges to retch and cough while Leandra was doing just that having not had the fortitude to hold it in. They got some relief thanks to the dragon swooping down and flapping its wings a few times causing large gusts of wind that blew away the smell, smoke, and ash, thankfully away from them and not in their faces.
Roxas, however, didn't care about that and was focusing on the dragon that was before them. While an intimidating sight, Roxas felt this dragon wasn't as terrorizing as Maleficent was or the Chinese one that Sora killed with Mulan. That didn't mean he wouldn't take this seriously if the dragon decided to attack them, it just meant he wasn't as intimidated as it was no doubt used to.
It was actually a surprise to him when the dragon roared before a swirl of magic encompassed it and instead of a massive dragon there stood an older woman, not old but older than all but Leandra, but she was still a sight with E cup breasts, slim waist, long legs, and a dress that accentuated all of that to go with her piercing golden eyes and silver hair. She seemed to be intrigued by him judging by the interested look over she gave him while staring at his Keyblade. "Well, well, what have we here? It used to be we got no visitors in the wilds, now they come in droves." She stated in a silky voice that both made Roxas go on edge and made him find her a bit more attractive.
Was this woman some distant relative of Maleficent?
"Impressive, where'd you learn to turn into a dragon?" Hawke asked with some humor in his voice.
The woman gave a chuckle, whether out of indulging him or because she found his wit funny was unknown, "Perhaps I am a dragon. If so, count yourselves lucky that the smell of burning Darkspawn does nothing for the appetite." The woman stated while seeing Roxas still staring at her in caution but there was no fear among his expression like the others, which interested her a great deal.
However, she didn't have a great deal of time to study the young man before her as other things required her attention, "If you wish to flee the Darkspawn, then you should know that you are heading in the wrong direction." She stated before turning to leave.
"So you're just going to leave us here?" Bethany asked making the woman pause and turn back towards them as Roxas moved to stand between her and them.
"And why not? I was curious at the strange sight of a single man taking down an Ogre and then another doing so as well after getting support from a mage. I sated my curiosity and have already helped you by burning the other Darkspawn to ash. Is that not enough for you to be a little grateful?" The woman asked and Bethany flinched away while Roxas just looked at her.
"So what is it you want in return?" Roxas asked as the woman looked at him, "You helped us to sate your curiosity, which means you must want something else to help us further." Roxas stated knowing the game she was playing.
"Perhaps, but what could you possibly offer me for my help? And where is it that you are fleeing to in such haste?" The woman asked and Roxas frowned.
"We're going to Kirkwall in the Free Marches." Hawke stated making the woman turn to him.
"That IS quite a voyage, so far to simply flee the Darkspawn." She stated while keeping an eye on Roxas as she noticed he was inching the others back behind him in case she attacked, a sound strategy since it helped ensure no outliers for her to hit. The question though, was whether he could truly take one of her attacks?
"Any suggestions on how to get there? I hear the Deep Roads are pretty vacant now." Hawke asked with mirth and wit making Roxas guess he did it to try and keep the mood in a lighter tone.
The woman merely laughed, "Oh, you I like." The woman stated before she made a face, "Is it fate or chance? I can never decide." She muttered to herself but Roxas still caught it.
"I'd say chance, I've never liked fate." Roxas stated and it was true since every asshole he met was driven by fate of some kind.
The woman looked at him in mild interest before turning back to Hawke, "It appears that fortune smiles on us both today as I may be able to help you, in exchange for a simple task being performed." The woman stated and Bethany looked uneasy.
"Should we trust her? We don't even know who or what she is." Bethany stated as the woman just looked uncaring about the comment.
"I know what she is." Aveline stated as she was beside Wesley as he was panting and exhausted from the fight. "She's a witch of the wilds." Aveline stated with edge and the two siblings immediately took cautionary stances.
"Some call me that, others Flemeth, Asha'bellanar, an old hag that talks too much." She stated with a small chuckle before focusing on them again, "Does it really matter? I offer you this: I will get your group past the horde in exchange for a simple delivery not far from your destination." She continued as she eyed Roxas and Hawke critically, "Would you do this for a witch of the wilds?" She asked as she gazed at the group.
"Not like we have much choice. Three fighters, two civilians, and a wounded warrior don't make for good odds against a horde of creatures who only want to kill." Roxas stated since he could feel his body still being sluggish despite the fact he was close to what he was when he felt his best.
"No, you don't have much of a choice." Flemeth stated as she walked forward and held an amulet out to Hawke, "There is a clan of Dalish Elves near the city of Kirkwall. Deliver this amulet to their Keeper Marethari and any debt you might owe with me is settled and complete in full." She stated as Hawke took the amulet and placed it in a pouch. However, Flemeth then turned to Wesley, "There is another matter that needs to be handled first though." Flemeth stated as she moved towards Wesley only for Aveline to step between them with her sword.
"Stay away from him." Aveline threatened as Flemeth just looked at her sword incredulously.
"What has been done to your man is now in his blood." Flemeth stated and Aveline scowled.
"You lie! Roxas already used magic to heal him!" Aveline shouted making Flemeth raise her eyebrows in genuine surprise at him using magic to heal. She knew which was Roxas since Roxas didn't sound like a woman's name and he was the only other person with any noteworthy magical power.
"She's right, Aveline, I can feel the corruption spreading inside me." Wesley stated as he showed his black veins were spreading.
"Corruption?" Roxas asked in confusion and Hawke nodded.
"Yes, the Darkspawn are corrupted creatures supposedly stemmed from mages who tried to enter the heavens against the orders of the Maker. Their blood is tainted and it can infect others if it enters their body and being wounded by one can do it too. Eventually the corruption spreads throughout your body and you die an agonizing death, then stories say you slowly turn into one and are no longer who you are. You're a mindless, obedient, savage of a monster that serves the will of the horde and that is to kill or corrupt every living thing that exists." Hawke informed as Roxas frowned finding these things really did sound like the Heartless.
Aveline bit her lip as she looked at Roxas, "Can you do anything? What about using that spell?" She asked nearly in tears and Roxas frowned as he looked to his Keyblade before sighing and shaking his head.
"I'm low on magic and that spell is a basic one, if I had one of the higher tiers of it then maybe the spell would work, but right now? That spell is useless." Roxas stated as Aveline began crying. "But" Roxas started making them all look at him, "There MAY be something I can do, but I can't guarantee it will work." Roxas stated as he didn't want to give them false hope, but if the corruption worked like the darkness of someone's heart, then he MIGHT be able to do something to help Wesley.
"What? Please whatever you can do!" Aveline nearly begged and Roxas sighed as he walked over to Wesley.
"My blade is a construct of pure light, light can destroy darkness and corruption if it is strong enough. I've seen enemies and an ally of mine strike others in their hearts, the enemies to let Darkness flow and the ally to either seal the darkness or release the light within their hearts. I can do the same for Wesley, freeing his heart from the corruption could force it to recede, but the catch is that if the corruption has fully claimed him or done enough damage to him, then he'll still die. It really boils down to how strong Wesley is to resist and fight to stay alive." Roxas stated as they looked at him in surprise.
"And if I did die, would the corruption remain?" Wesley asked and Roxas shook his head.
"No, you would be purified from it, and any darkness that's naturally in your heart, but you would still die." Roxas stated and Wesley clenched his hands.
"Do it." Wesley stated making Aveline look at him in shock.
"Wesley!" Aveline shouted as Wesley grasped her hand.
"I'm dying, Aveline, at least this way, I have a chance and if the worst does happen, I can face the Maker with my soul cleansed from the corruption. Better to die with the chance at being healed, then to wither away and make you watch as I slowly die in front of you." Wesley stated as Aveline began crying more making Wesley smile sadly before he placed his forehead to hers a moment before turning to Roxas, "Do it." Wesley stated and Roxas nodded as he stood beside him.
"It goes without saying, but this is going to REALLY hurt." Roxas stated and Wesley nodded as Aveline grasped his hand tightly and was muttering her own prayers to the Maker. Roxas took a deep breath before he put his Keyblade in a reverse grip and held it tightly.
He hesitated, only a moment, before plunging the blade into Wesley's chest making the others aside form Flemeth flinch away, before they looked at the scene in surprise.
The reason? There was a warm light emanating from Wesley's chest around Roxas' blade as Wesley gasped and looked at the sky with wide eyes. Everyone watched as he smiled with tears going down his face as the black veins receded from his body, "It's beautiful." Wesley whispered as the tears continued to flow from his face before Roxas pulled his blade out and everyone was surprised to see that there was no hole in Wesley's chest and the light was still there too.
Roxas stumbled back as that took quite a bit out of him, but thankfully Bethany was there to support him, causing him to smile at her while she had some pink come to her face. Roxas then turned back to the couple as Aveline cupped Wesley's face. "Wesley?" Aveline asked in uncertainty.
"Aveline, it's so beautiful. I can see him, he's there to welcome me." Wesley stated as he turned towards her and gave her a chaste kiss to her lips. "I wish you could see it, but it's not your time yet." Wesley stated as he cupped her face and her tears flowed even more.
"Please, please don't leave me." Aveline stated and Wesley smiled sadly.
"I'm sorry, my love, but I'm so tired, my body feels so weak, and it's getting harder to keep my eyes open. The Maker is waiting for me, but I'll always watch over you." Wesley stated as he brushed his thumb against her face to remove her tears.
Aveline merely sobbed as Roxas looked on sadly, this was why he tried to warn them, but at least he'd have peace in his death even if Aveline would still lose him. "If his god is waiting for him, best to let him go than to try and force him to remain and suffer more." Flemeth stated making Roxas glance at her for being callous as Aveline sobbed before nodding and cupping both sides of his face.
"Go to him." Aveline stated as she gave Wesley a loving kiss before drawing back to see his eyes close and a peaceful smile come to his face before his hand fell from her face and she lowered her head and just cried her heart out.
Roxas sighed sadly for Aveline before Leandra came over to him tears still going down her face, "I'm sorry to ask more of you, but... could you... could you burn Carver's body? I don't want to leave it here to rot and be picked at by scavengers." Leandra asked and Roxas looked at the siblings and saw them nod their consent.
"Sure." Roxas stated before he pointed his blade at Carver's body as Leandra turned away with tears still flowing down her face, "Fire." Roxas stated as his blade glowed red before launching a fireball at Carver's body setting it aflame with Roxas knowing it would burn until nothing was left since there was nothing resisting the burn.
Roxas then turned to Aveline as she stood and crossed Wesley's arms over his chest before taking his shield and looking at him with a heartbroken expression. "Please... Wesley too." Aveline stated and Roxas nodded before casting Fire again and the flames latched onto Wesley as Aveline watched with tears still flowing as the flames consumed him.
Roxas merely placed a hand on her shoulder to give her some measure of comfort before he was surprised as she turned and buried her face into his chest as she sobbed. Not knowing what else to do, he merely stroked her back as she cried. He'd never had to comfort someone before so he had no idea what to do, what to say, or anything, so he just did what he thought was correct and hoped for the best.
Once she had calmed down enough to be able to move, Roxas guided her over to the Hawkes before Flemeth changed back into a dragon to transport them to a port to leave for Kirkwall. It was a bit of a trial and error to get on Flemeth and then adjust to flying on her back, but they managed even as Aveline and Leandra looked back longingly for those they lost.
Things weren't starting out very well, but he hoped that at least they would start looking up soon.
KIRKWALL: WEEKS LATER
Roxas was unfortunately wrong about that hope.
Flemeth had delivered them to the port town of Gwarn as agreed before Roxas, the Hawkes, and Aveline quickly boarded one of the last few ships leaving Fereldan, the continent Roxas had landed on, and crowded in with people. For over two weeks they sailed through the hell of the ocean, storms, and other weather events with Roxas working on the ship to pay for passage. His speed, strength, and agility made him invaluable during the different storms that plagued them along the way. The captain had more than once tried to get Roxas to join his crew permanently, but he turned it down as while he found sailing to be fun and peaceful, even when storms came, Roxas didn't want to leave his new... companions especially since Aveline seemed to be using him as a bit of a life line at the moment after losing Wesley.
Then they finally reached their destination: Kirkwall, the City of Chains.
Roxas learned from his companions the history and stories of different things included that Kirkwall for the longest time was built and then maintained by slavers before eventually things changed. Now they had a large Templar and Chantry presence but no wars at the moment. The history of the city was shown via the large golden statues depicting slaves in chains that were the proverbial gateway to the city if you were coming by ship.
"Cheery place." Roxas stated as they sailed into port before docking and everyone quickly began disembarking while Roxas and company waited a moment to not get trampled by the herd of people. Roxas frowned seeing several types that gave him a bad feeling as kept the others close, "Stay together, I don't like the looks some of these people are giving us." Roxas stated as they nodded and kept close with Leandra between them all while Aveline carried Wesley's shield with her drawing even more looks from people.
Roxas, however, frowned seeing a captain ranked guard, evidenced by his armor being thicker than the others, apparently having a heated conversation with a group of mercenaries. "Miss Leandra, move away, this is gonna get bad." Roxas stated seeing the discussion getting bad. Hawke nodded to his mother sending her off away from any chance of getting caught if a fight broke out.
"If you don't want to stay in this plaza, then get back on your ships and leave." The Captain stated, agitation clear in his voice, as the mercenaries sneered.
"The ships already left and we paid good coin to get here." The apparent leader of the mercenaries stated while scowling at the captain.
"You and half of Ferelden, there's nothing I can do. The city is FULL unless you got a sponsor or a resident already expecting you. So either head out on foot or wait for the next ship to come." The Captain stated before turning to the Hawkes, Roxas, and Aveline, "The same goes for you." The captain stated not wanting to deal with more annoyances.
"We have family here." Bethany stated making the Captain frown.
"Our uncle is Gamlen Amell, he should know we are coming." Hawke explained surprising the Captain.
"Gamlen? I know that name." The Captain stated with a frown.
"Yes, he's a nobleman here in the city, our family owns an estate." Bethany stated making the Captain look at her incredulously.
"The only Gamlen I know is a weasel, who couldn't rub two coppers together, and if he could he'd lose them in gambling 10 minutes later." The Captain stated shocking the two siblings while Roxas frowned, though he also eyed the mercenaries and saw they were inching towards their weapons.
"Even so, he can vouch for us entering the city." Roxas stated making the Captain frown further before he sighed.
"IF he shows up, I'll bring him to you and then we can talk, but until then you're stuck here just like the others until you have confirmed he's expecting you." The Captain stated while the mercenaries all scowled.
"You're letting THEM through?!" The Mercenary Leader asked with a scowl on his face while the captain frowned.
"I didn't say that-" The Captain started before the Mercenary Leader drew his sword.
"Fuck this! Men! We're carving our way into the city!" The Leader shouted before he was set on fire via Roxas launching the Fire spell at him before Roxas dashed and was on the other Mercenaries in an instant cutting down several before they could even draw their weapons. The others were quickly hit by Hawke, Bethany, and Aveline attacking as well.
The captain managed to back away enough to draw his own weapons and joined the fray with the Mercenaries quickly being dispatched with Roxas having killed more than half of them before the others could even draw their weapons and help.
The captain looked around and sighed, "Unbelievable." He stated before seeing one of his men come up.
"Sir! Are you all right?" He asked and the Captain scowled at him finding it very coincidental that all of his men happened to be out of the area when the mercenaries stirred up trouble.
"I am, no thanks to you, where the hell is everyone?! Find them and get their asses back here! I want this area kept under control!" The Captain ordered and the man nodded quickly before taking off to do as instructed. The Captain then turned to the group, "You have my thanks, but I still can't let you into the city. It's not's my decision... but I will send someone to find and bring your uncle here." He stated making them nod.
"Thank you." Hawke stated as the Captain walked away and the four went to check on Leandra to ensure she was all right.
"Hopefully the Captain will be able to find Uncle Gamlen quickly." Bethany stated making Roxas groan.
"Why did you have to say that? You never jinx things by saying stuff like that." Roxas stated already feeling this was going to be more complicated now.
THREE DAYS LATER
Roxas sighed as he knew Bethany saying that would come back and bite them in the ass as they had been in this area for three days and still nothing on where the Hawke's uncle was.
Although, he guessed it wasn't all bad, day two he had woken up with Bethany and Aveline cuddled up against him with his arms pressed against their bodies and squished between their breasts. It was a bit awkward when they woke up, but Roxas decided to help them out and pretend he was still asleep letting them squeak in surprise and move away for when he "woke up" and acted like he didn't know where they were positioned moments ago.
However, now they had some hope as the Captain informed them that one of his men had found Gamlen and was escorting him there to see them so it looked like they had somewhat of a break at last.
A few hours passed and they saw a... not well aged man wearing slightly better than rags for clothes came out and the group approached him, "Leandra! Damn girl, the years have been kind to you." The man, who Roxas assumed was Gamlen, stated as he hugged Leandra.
"It's good to see you too, Gamlen, but... we came too late, we lost my Carver on the way." She said and Gamlen sighed sadly at that.
"Leandra... I'm sorry, but please don't drop this on me here. I don't even know if I can get you all in." He stated shocking the group.
"What?! But what about the estate?" Leandra asked in shock.
Gamlen grimaced, "It's... well that is... umm, gone. I used it to settle a debt, I've been meaning to write you." Gamlen stated as Roxas frowned at him.
"Then... we're stuck here, there's no hope." Leandra stated and Roxas frowned at her.
"Way to help keep morale up." Roxas though with a shake of his head since she was very pessimistic since they got on the boat. He knew she had lost her "baby boy" but damn if she wasn't just treating life like it was pointless to even exist any longer.
"Maybe not, I know someone who can help you... if you're not delicate about the company you keep." Gamlen stated making them look at him questioningly.
"I'm almost afraid to ask." Roxas stated as Gamlen snorted in his direction making Roxas narrow his eyes at him.
"The catch is that you all will have to work off the debt for a year." Gamlen stated shocking them all.
"What?!" Leandra asked in outrage and Gamlen shrugged.
"It's the best there is, you need a sponsor and that's not cheap, no refugee group is going to get a better deal and it could take a year or more to get into the city normally with how things are." Gamlen explained, though Roxas could tell from his tone he honestly didn't care what they did.
Bethany sighed as she looked at her brother, "It's only a year, and we'll have shelter at least." Bethany stated making Hawke nod knowing she was right.
"Go and talk to Meeran, he leads the Red Iron Mercenary Company. They're looking for recruits, which is how you'll get your sponsorship. He should be in the courtyard, now you just need to convince him you're worth the trouble." Gamlen stated as the four who could actually fight walked towards the courtyard.
"What do you two think?" Hawke asked Aveline and Roxas.
"It's better than the streets, plus I have nowhere else to go." Aveline stated as Roxas nodded.
"Same with me, but personally I think your uncle is a snake and weasel rolled into one. It wouldn't surprise me if he actually owed Meeran money and was using us as an excuse to pay the debt while seeming like a caring brother and uncle." Roxas stated since Gamlen gave him a similar feeling that he had with DiZ, Xemnas, and Saix did, he saw them as pawns to further what his goals were.
The other three all frowned, "He's our uncle, Roxas." Bethany stated and Roxas just looked at her.
"Who conveniently didn't mention in any letters that he gambled away all the money that would have been your inheritance and despite knowing we would come here, made no plans or alternative than us having to work for someone he supposedly knows for a year. There's also the fact he didn't even seem that bothered about Carver and pretty much shrugged off any concerns we had as if they weren't his problem. So yes, he's your uncle and I'm thanking whatever Deity that he's not your father instead because I can only imagine how things would have turned out then." Roxas stated and Bethany and Hawke flinched since he wasn't entirely wrong and Aveline had to nod her head since she saw those signs too.
"Regardless, it's the best option we have. The other free cities no doubt have all taken in vast amounts of refugees that left here for greener pastures. And I doubt that mother could make that much of a trip let alone with bandits and creatures along the roads as well." Hawke stated making Roxas nod.
"I'm not saying we don't take the deal, since we don't have any real choice, I'm just saying we shouldn't trust Gamlen with anything in the future." Roxas stated as Hawke nodded before they asked around and found Meeran.
The man had as much etiquette and charisma as a brick did, but he had some influence and that was what was needed. Luckily for them, Meeran had been there a few days and saw how they handled the would-be mercenaries, shown when he offered Roxas a permanent position since he hadn't seen someone kill or fight so effectively.
Roxas countered with getting his friends into the city easier and maybe he'd think on staying on, but Meeran wasn't some pushover and simply gave them a collection job as a merchant wasn't paying his fees and would need to be reminded to pay what was owed from then on.
It wasn't hard, the man had put up a brave front about not paying thugs and the like. Hawke and the others didn't want to get rough, and lucky for them Roxas had stopped them from having to. How? He simply asked the man what he thought Meeran's influence was, then asked how he thought that applied to the guards since he clearly did business inside the city and never got in trouble. Thus, if Meeran wanted to make an example of him and his family, who was going to stop him? Who was going to punish him for whatever he chose to do? The answer was no one, because his gold would be lining the pockets of any and all guards that tried to get in his way and the next merchant wouldn't need to be asked to pay, they'd gladly do it to not make Meeran angry while the man himself would just be put in a grave and that would be the end of it for him.
The man had paled rapidly to the point a Nobody had more color to them than he did before he readily and gladly gave them the gold that was owed and asked that they tell Meeran that it was all a misunderstanding and he would ensure all payments were made on time from now on.
Roxas merely started walking back while the tree others looked at each other glad for Roxas' quick thinking since while scaring the man was a bit bad, it was better than getting physical with him and making them into horrible people. What they didn't realize was that Roxas also got the man on his side in the future, if Roxas ever needed a favor or help, the merchant would be more willing to do it since Roxas no doubt just saved his life and his business.
It seemed a bit underhanded, but better to earn his favor while being truthful to him over brutalizing him and making him resentful, now he may feel indebted to Roxas for saving his life and his business. When they didn't need Meeran anymore, Roxas may even offer to step in and replace Meeran as his protection. Undercut his demands, ask for some favors at times, and make sure no one fucked with him would do well.
However, that was for later, right now, Roxas would play the good little soldier for Meeran, to a point at least, and would be sure to undermine the man every chance he got while still completing the jobs assigned to them.
Shaking those thoughts away for later, he and the others gave Meeran his money with him sending some men to the gate guards and inform them that they were cleared to enter as the group returned to Gamlen and Leandra, "Any luck?" Gamlen asked and Hawke nodded.
"We're in, he's already getting us inside." Hawke stated as Gamlen smiled both in greed and relief.
"Excellent, I'll just go and make sure the deal is being done in full." Gamlen stated as he left and Roxas just looked as his friends, who frowned after Gamlen now seeing what Roxas was talking about earlier.
"Well, at least we're officially in the city now." Roxas stated breaking the others from their gazes and nodding to his statement.
"It's sad that Carver couldn't be with us." Bethany stated as her head dipped down while Aveline nodded.
"And Wesley too." Aveline added as Roxas patted them both on the shoulder with a sad smile.
"Yes, but for now we have a home, we just need to work for the year and then we're free for ourselves. I'm sure it will fly by and seem like no time at all." Hawke stated trying to lift the mood.
"Maker willing." Aveline muttered as Roxas had a similar feeling.
At least Roxas had a year to train himself back to what he used to be capable of as well as make contacts in the city and outside of it while learning different trades, groups, and the area since Leandra was the only real source of local information he had and she had been away from here for a few decades so there was no telling if any information she had was still accurate or useful. There was also a matter of having a place to call home, since while he knew he could trust the Hawkes and Aveline, he still wanted some privacy especially to train and experiment with his powers
However, like with everything else, that was on hold until he got into the city and was dealing with his year of service to Meeran.
It took two days to get into the city, and that started their year of service with the Red Iron. It was a bit slow, but they quickly began making names for themselves with Roxas gaining the most attention due to his brutal and direct style of combat.
Shortly at the start of their year, news quickly came that the Hero of Ferelden had defeated the Archdemon and stopped the Blight, but with Lothering destroyed and too many bad memories waiting for them, the Hawkes and Aveline stayed in Kirkwall finishing out their year of service with Roxas while many others quickly went back home.
Over the course of the year, Roxas bit by bit regained some of his power, Mana, Spells, skills, and abilities and his Kingdom Key had morphed into one that he had shared with Xion: Missing Ache. It felt a bit fitting to him as he did miss his friends and knew he was unlikely to ever see them again now, but they'd always be with him in his heart.
As for the rest of Kirkwall, it had been quite a busy year as the Qunari had landed in Kirkwall as a storm had caught their ship and stranded hundreds of them there waiting to return home, though Roxas personally felt there was an ulterior motive for them remaining, but didn't voice it since there was tension and stress already, why add to it?
There was also the issues with the mages as the Templars grew stronger under Knight Commander Meredith's brutal control.
However, things weren't all bad since Hawke was now free and would soon meet someone that would change his life forever.
As for Roxas, he too would meet someone like that.
He had taken up residence in a small house/hovel out in Lowtown near the Elven Alienage, and he had remained there training and taking the odd job until the day Bethany came and knocked on his door bearing exciting news to share with him.
The Nobody was getting a new adventure in Kirkwall.
DONE!
Hope you all enjoyed the chapter.
ReaperofBalance: Hey everyone, just wanted to say I'm enjoying this so far. Though this should be obvious, but this is the internet so, canon will be FUCKED UP from now on, so you may see the similar events but outcomes and such WILL be changed. See you all next time!